QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN

February 24, 2023

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/F. Auger-Aliassime

6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Congratulations for your second final in a row. You have won Felix six times, something that nobody achieves. Do you have a special motivation against him?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, definitely not special motivation (smiling). I want to win every match I play.

Of course sometimes games of different players, you know, sometimes somebody likes to playing someone better. So probably there is something in tactics and the game that I'm doing well against him, and it's enough to beat him.

But at the same time, you know, I always said that head-to-heads, every match is a new match. Big example, against Zverev, I was, if I'm not mistaken, 5-1 at one point for him, and then I made it 6-5 for my favor, and now it's 6-All, if I'm not mistaken.

So it can change, for sure. But I'm happy for the moment to be six victories against him. Every time we play I'm going to try to win. But every match is a new story, and we had some tough matches. I mean, one time he was two sets to love up, had match points against me in Australia, tough opponent, and every match is going to be different story.

Q. Congratulations, Daniil. You're in the final now. What can you say about playing Andy Murray? Big name, he's a legend.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, amazing. The way he played there, the way he won his matches, is just unbelievable. Today I don't think anyone could have thought about it when it was 5-4, 40-Love.

We do have sometimes comebacks in tennis, but usually not one tournament where you save three match points and you beat Zverev 7-5 in the third, save five more match points.

Andy is amazing, and I'm going to have to be at my best from first to last point tomorrow to try to get the win, and I'm hoping for a great match.

Q. What can you say about the tournament here in Qatar, about the competition, the venue, the organization? How do you find it?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I like it very much. Great hotel. You know, transportation is good. What else can we say? Food is good. A lot of courts to practice. Great lounge.

You know, I don't think tournaments need a lot to be good, but the small things that I mentioned are quite important for players. I think for some players like hotels more, some players like more practice courts more, but everything is good here.

Everybody told me all the time that it's great organization here, but I didn't have the chance to come because of calendar, different reasons. I'm liking it here. I'm happy to be in the final.

Q. You were a finalist twice in Australian Open and the champion in US Open. Are these two best big tournaments? Your favorites maybe?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: For me, yes, because it's on hard courts. Roland Garros and Wimbledon are great tournaments. When I'm asked about favorite slam, I don't really have an answer.

I won US Open, but I can't really say that this is my favorite slam. I like all of them. They are all great to play. I want to achieve big results in all of them.

Definitely in terms of my game, I think US Open suits me the best, but yeah, every year the balls are changing, surface are changing, so I never know when I'm 35 what I'm going to say.

Q. What about your goals this season?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: To play my best tennis like I'm doing right now. I'm really happy. Two finals. Of course I want to do better than I did last year in 1000s and Grand Slams. But it's not easy. Everyone you face gonna try to beat you, try to play good. People start to know how to play you. So you have to change all the time, try to adapt also.

So my goal is to show my best tennis, which I was, for whatever reason, sometimes not able to do last year, and I know when I show my best tennis I'm dangerous for everyone, and that's when I can get good results.